Swimming: Side Breathing in the Butterfly Swimming Stroke

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com

Conventional Breathing Technique in the Butterfly Stroke

Some butterfly swimmers turn their head to the side when breathing—like the breathing action used in the front crawl.

They do this in the belief that turning the head eliminates the need to lift the head when breathing. They feel it saves energy and keeps the body more horizontal, since lifting the head pushes the hips deeper into the water.

Based on False Assumptions
However, the side breathing technique doesn't really reduce the distance the head must be lifted above the water.

Turning the Head Still Requires the Head to be Lifted

Proponents of the technique forget that side breathing in the crawl takes advantage of body roll to turn the face above the level of the water. However, there is no body roll in the butterfly and without it the neck can't rotate enough to get the mouth out of the water (unless your swimmer is an owl).

As a result, a turned head must be lifted above water-level as much as a head that's held in a straight position. In fact, turning the head sideways takes extra energy, and makes it more difficult to swim a straight line down the pool.

References:
1. Mike Bottom and Nathan Jendrick, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Swimming, Alpha, 2011.
2. D. L. Costill, E. W. Maglischo & A. B. Richardson, Swimming, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1992.

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